e, whether they warmed over it, or whether
they were urged, they gained in swiftness, and once past Bercy, the
carriage seemed to fly, so great was the ardor of the coursers. These
horses ran thus as far as Villeneuve St. George's, where relays were
waiting. Then four instead of two whirled the carriage away in the
direction of Melun and pulled up for a moment in the middle of the
forest of Senarl. No doubt the order had been given the postilion
beforehand, for Aramis had no occasion even to make a sign.

"What is the matter?" asked the prisoner, as if waking from a long
dream.

"The matter is, monseigneur," said Aramis, "that before going further,
it is necessary your royal highness and I should converse."

"I will wait an opportunity, monsieur," answered the young prince.

"We could not have a better, monseigneur; we are in the middle of a
forest, and no one can hear us."

"The postilion?"

"The postilion of this relay is deaf and dumb, monseigneur."

"I am at your service, M. d'Herblay."

"Is it your pleasure to remain in the carriage?"

"Yes, we are comfortably seated, and I like this carriage; for it has
restored me to liberty."

"Wait, monseigneur; there is yet a precaution to be taken."

"What?"

"We are here on the highway; cavaliers or carriages traveling like
ourselves might pass, and seeing us stopping, deem us in some
difficulty. Let us avoid offers of assistance, which would embarrass
us."

"Give the postilion orders to conceal the carriage in one of the side
avenues."

"'Tis exactly what I wished to do, monseigneur."

Aramis made a sign to the deaf and dumb driver of the carriage, whom he
touched on the arm. The latter dismounted, took the leaders by the
bridle, and led them over the velvet sward and the mossy grass of a
winding alley, at the bottom of which, on this moonless night, the deep
shades formed a curtain blacker than ink. This done, the man lay down on
a slope near his horses, who, on either side, kept nibbling the young
oak shoots.

"I am listening," said the young prince to Aramis; "but what are you
doing there?"

"I am disarming myself of my pistols, of which we have no further need,
monseigneur."

CHAPTER LXXXIII.

THE TEMPTER.

"My prince," said Aramis, turning in the carriage toward his companion,
"weak creature as I am, so unpretending in genius, so low in the scale
of intelligent beings, it has never yet happened to me to converse with
a man without p